Orlando Melendez
Encyclopedia
Orlando Melendez a.k.a. "El Gato" (The Cat) (born February 14, 1979), is the first Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...

-born basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player ever to play for the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...

.

Early years

Melendez was born in the City of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

, but lived and was raised in the town of Juana Díaz, where he also received his primary and secondary education. When he was 14 years old, he would go home after school and with his basketball under his arm make take a 2-mile jog through the sugar cane fields every day to the nearest basketball court and practice the sport with the local kids. Running was in his blood since father used to run marathons, and his grandfather is a track and field expert.

He always grabbed a snack to eat during his trek and would drop crumbs along the way. As a result, whenever he arrived at the court he would be accompanied by an entourage of cats, thus his nickname "El Gato" (the cat). Melendez tried out for his Juana Díaz high school basketball team and was accepted. Through an exchange student program, he was able to play at McDowell High School
McDowell High School (Marion, North Carolina)
McDowell High School is a public high school located in the western North Carolina town of Marion. Known for its reputable NJROTC program, successful athletic teams, musical directors, and computer programming classes, the 4A school of roughly 1,600 students is the only high school in McDowell County...

 in Marion, North Carolina
Marion, North Carolina
Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,943 at the 2008 estimated census. It is the county seat of McDowell County.-Geography:Marion is located at ....

, where he finished his senior year.

North Carolina Tar Heels

In 1997, Melendez was awarded a scholarship to the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...

. There he began his college basketball career by playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...

, where he appeared in the Final Fours in 1998 and 2000. From 1998 to 2007, Melendez played for UNC and professionally in Europe and Puerto Rico. He played for:
  • North Carolina
    North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
    The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...

     (NCAA) 1998-1999, 2000–2001, 2002;
  • Leones de Ponce
    Ponce Lions (basketball)
    The Leones de Ponce are a BSN basketball team based in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The Lions are one of the BSN's most successful franchises, having won a total of twelve championships...

     1999-2000; *Polluelos de Aibonito (Puerto Rico-BSN) 2001-2002;
  • Toritos de Cayey (Puerto Rico-BSN), in May was traded to
  • Los Atleticos de San German
    San Germán Athletics
    The Atleticos de San Germán also known as La Cuna del Baloncesto en Puerto Rico is a BSN basketball team from Puerto Rico...

     (Puerto Rico-BSN): 16 games; Atleticos de San German (Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN), starting five) 2003-2004, 2006;
  • Grises Orientales de Humacao (SuperLeague 25, starting five) 2004;
  • Indios de Mayagüez (BSN): 20 games 2004-2005;
  • Guayanilla (SuperLeague 25, starting five) 2005;
  • Gallitos de Isabela (BSN): 31 games 2006;
  • Luxbasket camp in Wiltz 2006-2007:
  • AS Soleuvre (LUX-DBBL): 11 games; in Dec.'06 try-out at Eiffel Towers Den Bosch (NED-Eredivisie), in Feb.'07 moved to
  • Team Merry Monk Ballina (IRL-SuperLeague): 8 games, 2007; *Maratonistas de Coamo (BSN, starting five), in May moved to
  • Cangrejeros de Santurce (BSN): 13 games, 2008; Cangrejeros de Santurce
    Santurce Crabbers (basketball)
    The Cangrejeros de Santurce are a BSN basketball team from the Santurce area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. They currently play at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum and Mario Morales Coliseum, they have been playing there since 2005...

     (BSN): Liga Americas: 6 games.

Harlem Globetrotters

In 2007, Sam Worthen
Sam Worthen
Samuel Lee Worthen is a former NBA player who currently is touring as the coach of the Washington Generals, the team that periennally loses to the Harlem Globetrotters....

, the former Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

 and New Orleans Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 guard, coached professionally in Puerto Rico. He also coached the Washington Generals the perennial Globetrotters punching bag. Worthen, impressed with Melendez's ability to play and entertain suggested Melendez try out for the Globetrotters after the two had bumped into each other outside the San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

apartment building in which they both lived.

In 2008, Melendez became the first Puerto Rican-born basketball player ever to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. He was not however, the first Hispanic of Puerto Rican descent to play for the Globetrotters. That distinction belongs to Orlando Antigua, whose mother is Puerto Rican and who in 1995 made Globetrotters history by becoming the first Hispanic and non-black to play for the team.

Melendez whose position is that of "power forward", injured his knee during training camp. He had surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus. Melendez was well enough for the start of the December 26 domestic season.

Awards/Achievements

Among Melendez's awards and achievements are the following:
  • NCAA Final Four -00
  • ACC Champion Runner-Up -01
  • Puerto Rico National Team -01-02
  • Puerto Rican PRSBL All Star Game -01
  • Central American Championships (Centrobasket) Champion -01
  • Tournament of the Americas (Copa America) in Neuquin (ARG) –01(Semifinals)
  • "Gatorade" Dunking contest in the Puerto Rican All Star Game -2002
  • Puerto Rican BSN Semifinals -03
  • Irish Superleague Finalist -07
  • Irish Superleague North Conference Runner-Up -07
  • Puerto Rican BSN Champion -07
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